| Gary Snyder | |
|---|---|
 Snyder in 2007 |
|
| Born | May 8, 1930 (age 82) San Francisco, California |
| Occupation | Poet, essayist, travel writer, translator, educator |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 1950–present |
| Literary movement | San Francisco Renaissance,Beat Generation |
| Notable work(s) | Turtle Island, 1975; The Real Work, 1980; A Place in Space, 1995; Mountains and Rivers Without End, 1996 |
| Notable award(s) | Pulitzer Prize for poetry, 1975; Bollingen Prize for Poetry, 1997; John Hay Award for Nature Writing, 1997; Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, 2008 |
Gary Snyder (born May 8, 1930) is an American poet (often associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance), as well as an essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist (frequently described as the “poet laureate of Deep Ecology”). Snyder is a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. His work, in his various roles, reflects an immersion in both Buddhist spirituality and nature. Snyder has translated literature into English from ancient Chinese and modern Japanese. For many years, Snyder served as a faculty member at the University of California, Davis, and he also served for a time on the California Arts Council.
I’m staying.
That’s what David Suzuki said he was told by Gary Snyder as the two most radical words we can say.
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” Gary Snyder
Photo via Jessica Crabtree
At every turn I’ve encountered, Snyder has been more than a poet. He’s an Elder.
Even when he was the new kid on the block, he guided the others.